"There's a great moment towards the end of the otherwise non-great Rocky III, when Clubber Lang is asked by a straw-hatted, bowtie-twirling US sports reporter for a prediction before his imminent title fight. There's a pause as Clubber looks down, lets the mask of showmanship drop, and just says the word pain. You can say that again. Let's face it, this was always going to hurt, whichever way the latest note in the conjoined titlerelegation stagger fell."
"Careers, lives, hopes and hundreds of millions of pounds shall ride on the decoding of a raised forearm, on a review of a referral of a decision from Darren England, our Darren England (unless specifically stated otherwise: it is always Darren England) to Chris Kavanagh. As themes and imagery for the season go, this was perfect. Who writes your scripts? And is there any chance of maybe getting someone else in at any point?"
"So it came to pass, with 94 minutes gone at the London Stadium and Arsenal 1-0 up on West Ham, that this multibillion stage boiled down to a referee standing in front of a screen, hands stiff at his sides, like a man about to be executed by firing squad on a matter of noble principle. The moment stretched out: 17 (count 'em) repetitions across two and a half minutes. Kavanagh unmoved and strangely tender in the middle of all that heat and noise."
"West Ham's fans leaning across the advert boards in front of him. A gallery of players at his back. The ground suddenly hushed as he turned and said: After review, West Ham's No 19 commits a foul At which point the words disappeared into a rising roar. Previous title deciders had AGUERO and It's up for grabs now. Generation digital mess gets: And my final decision is ... Nobody cared in the away end as Arsenal's fans seethed and leapt and fell over one another."
A prediction moment in Rocky III parallels the pain of a season decided by fine referee decisions. The Premier League title outcome is portrayed as depending on a referee interpreting a screen review of an arm-wrestle-like incident at a corner. Careers, lives, hopes, and large sums are said to ride on decoding a raised forearm and reviewing a referral from one official to another. At the London Stadium with Arsenal leading West Ham 1-0, the match narrows to a referee standing before a screen, motionless amid noise. The VAR process repeats many times over minutes before the referee announces a foul committed by West Ham’s No 19 after review, triggering a roar and shifting fan reactions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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